High Schools Could Soon Require Student CPR Certification

<> on August 26, 2011 in New York City.File photo of an ambulance. (credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

CBS Local – Every high school student in South Dakota could soon be required to learn CPR, as introduced in a new bill from the American Heart Association, via KSFY in Souix Falls, SD. This could add that approximately an additional 10,000 trained CPR members each year.

Nearly half a million people suffer from cardiac arrest every year. Having someone around who’s certified in CPR could save an estimated 90% of them.

“This legislation would train what is basically the next generation of bystander CPR responders in South Dakota,” said Communications Director of the American Heart Association, Chrissy Meyer. “Many of these students are located in very rural communities and homes that have much longer EMS wait times than the city average of 10 minutes.”

A continued influx of those who have the knowledge and ability to give CPR would literally be life saving.

“The more people that have the knowledge to be able to act and take action, the better of the rest of the population will be,” said Scott Christensen, the director of clinical services with Paramedics Plus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “If a person can be beating the heart for someone, you are getting blood to the brain and that is the most crucial step.”

Of course, there are logistical issues that not everybody is behind. It’s a nice idea in theory, but could it be reasonably carried out?

“How do you get everybody to be instructors? It’s costly,” said Stokke.

Tell us what you think. Should all high school students here be required to learn CPR?